Bright Lights
by MysticalElfGoddess
Summary: Chibodee X Shirley, One-Shot, Songfic to MatchBox 20's Bright Lights. Please read and review. Shirley goes off to Broadway, can she make it or does she really just want to come home? Disclaimer: I don't own G Gundam or Matchbox 20's 'Bright Lights' (I for


Quick Summary: Ok, another fic by me. It's a Chibodee and Shirley, pot series (it has nothing to do with 'Old Love, New Love') one-shot, songfic to "Bright Lights" by Matchbox 20. Please enjoy, and please review.  
  
"Bright Lights"  
MysticalElfGoddess  
  
"Chibodee, can I talk to you for a minute?" Shirley knocked on the door of his study. She had been studying to have a career in acting for a while now, going to classes three times a week. Shirley felt as though she needed something to fall back on after Chibodee was done with his gundam fights. She had just gotten home from another class.  
  
"Mm... door's open." He answered her and she walked inside. "How was your acting class?" Her face lit up and he looked up from his book to see her beaming. "Oh boy, you look happy. What happened?"  
  
She sat down in a chair across from him in front of a fire. It was mid winter and it was still very cold. She was still wearing her scarf and hat, her coat was in her lap and her fists were clenching and unclenching the material. "Something amazing, something wonderful, something that I need to speak with you about right now." She was still smiling like crazy. Chibodee sighed; Shirley never got so excited about... anything really. This was looking bad. He closed his book and put it down on the table next to his chair.  
  
"Shoot." He said and watched her carefully. He still wouldn't admit how much he really liked her. She was beautiful and smart and sweet and everything he wasn't.  
  
"Well, I after class my instructor came up to me and asked me if I had ever had any other acting experience and I said no and he said that I have what it takes to make it on Broadway here on the New York Colony and he wants to take me there. Isn't that amazing and wild?" She rambled off, barely taking a breath. He had nothing to say. "Well? Aren't you going to say anything? Aren't you happy for me?" She asked breathlessly happy.  
  
He was shocked, to say the least. She wanted to leave him, so soon? Then again, maybe this was her big chance to make it big. He cared for her so much that he really wanted her to have whatever she wanted. One thing that got him angry about the whole thing though and he was going to find out about it.  
  
"This guy, your instructor. Is he a nice guy? Do you like him?" He said being perfectly honest. He wasn't about to let his Shirley go off with some creep who just thought she was good for a cheep thrill in the city. She blushed immediately.  
  
"What does that matter Chibodee? He's a professional, he knows these things. I have to leave by tomorrow night if you want me to go; if you don't then I have to call him. I need an answer." She said softly looking into his eyes. "What do you want Chibodee?"  
  
"I want..." he started and then hesitated. What did he want? He wanted her to be with him forever. But that's not all that he wanted. He wanted her to be happy. "I want..." he started again. Was he really ready to give her up without a fight? She looked closer into his eyes. He just couldn't look away. He saw such hope in her eyes and didn't want to ruin anything that may be good for her.  
  
"Chibodee?" she almost whispered. He nodded slightly to himself; he knew what he had to do.  
  
"I want what you want." She broke out into that amazing smile again. He grinned just a little bit, trying to make it look sincere. She stood up rambling again about how she was thankful and how happy she was and most of all how good this would be for her. Chibodee was only half-listening. She was halfway to the door when he stood up and grabbed her arm. She turned around and looked at him; his eyes were glued to the floor.  
  
"Promise me one thing. Promise me that if you don't make it, you'll come back home. At least to say hi?" he whispered. Shirley nodded, "Of course I will. It's a promise"  
  
Chibodee let out a sigh of relief and let go of her arm, "then you should go and pack." She grinned widely. She ran out the door and shouted a "thank you" over her shoulder.  
  
**Next Day**  
  
A car honked outside, it was a taxi. The taxi that would take Shirley to the train station which would take her far away to Broadway. Chibodee got off his bed, he was dreading this. He walked down the stairs and saw all of the girls in the den, Shirley was hugging them all goodbye. Chibodee sighed for what felt like the fiftieth time that morning.  
  
"I'll miss you all so much. I'll write everyday, I promise." Shirley said to the girls. He put on his poker face.  
  
"Don't forget your other promise." He said grinning. Shirley spun around and smiled at him.  
  
"I won't." He walked the rest of the way downstairs. She came over and gave him a friendly hug. He heaved a deep sigh when she pulled away.  
  
"Goodbye everyone." Shirley said quietly. Janet and Bunny were crying into each others' arms. Cath was wiping tears from her eyes, refusing to cry.  
  
"I'll miss you all. Please don't cry." She brandished a wide smile that only Chibodee returned. Shirley turned around, and walked out the door.  
  
SHE GOT OUT OF TOWN  
ON A RAILWAY NEW YORK BOUND  
TOOK ALL EXCEPT MY NAME  
ANOTHER ALIEN ON BROADWAY  
  
"Come on girls, let's get our acts together." Chibodee said clapping his hands once. He needed to be the anchor that Shirley always was. The girls quickly dried their eyes and went back to their duties. Chibodee went back to his room.  
  
He closed and locked his door, lie down on his bed and put a hand over  
his eyes. "God, what have I done? I miss her already." He took his  
hand off of his eyes. "I didn't know I needed her so much. I didn't know.... how important she was to me."  
  
THERE'S SOME THINGS IN THIS WORLD  
YOU JUST CAN'T CHANGE  
SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T SEE  
UNTIL IT GETS TOO LATE  
  
And with that, Chibodee broke down, and cried for the first time in a long time.  
"You better come back Shirley; I don't think I can go on without you."  
  
BABY, BABY, BABY  
WHEN ALL YOUR LOVE IS GONE  
WHO WILL SAVE ME  
FROM ALL I'M UP AGAINST OUT IN THIS WORLD  
MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE  
YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING  
THAT'S ENOUGH TO PLEASE YOU  
BUT IF THE BRIGHT LIGHTS DON'T RECEIVE YOU  
YOU CAN TURN YOURSELF AROUND  
AND COME ON HOME  
  
**Next Week**  
  
Chibodee finally got over the fact that Shirley was gone. It took a few bottles of Whiskey and a very large hangover but he was dealing with the loss of her now. It was about six o'clock the night one week after Shirley left when Chibodee came downstairs for dinner. The food was never the same too; Shirley was the best cook out of all of the girls. He sighed; he had been doing that a lot lately too.  
  
"Hey girls, what's in the mail?" He asked disinterestedly. Shirley had promised to write everyday but was not keeping her promise. He hoped she would keep her other promise. God only knew how he hoped.  
  
Janet screamed from the den and ran into the kitchen. Chibodee looked up again, without interest.  
  
"There are four letters from Shirley! Four! One for each of us!" Chibodee looked up, finally happy for the first time that week. Janet gave him his letter and he placed in his pocket. He jumped up suddenly.  
  
"You know, I'm not really hungry, I'll see you girls later." He ran upstairs and into his room. He picked up his phone and dialed his favorite newlyweds' new house. "Domon? I need you and Rain for a minute, can you both get on?" Chibodee said into the videophone. Domon nodded and called Rain over. She saw him, smiled, and pressed the speakerphone button so he could hear them both.  
  
"What's up Chibodee?" Rain said looking at him.  
  
"Yeah, what's going on?" Domon asked.  
  
Chibodee relayed the whole story to them. They both listened and waited until he was done.  
  
"And I'm really happy for her. It's the truth." He finished. "What should I do about this letter?"  
  
I GOT A HOLE IN ME NOW  
I GOT A SCAR I CAN TALK ABOUT  
  
Rain nodded in understanding and then asked him, "Chibodee, how do you feel about Shirley?"  
  
"I like her, a lot. I always have." He answered being only partially truthful  
  
Rain and Domon both looked at each other and then looked skeptically at Chibodee.  
  
"Really Chibodee? You only like her?" Domon asked him curiously.  
  
"Ok, ok, ok, ok." He gave in, they were hard to fool, especially as a couple. "I love her. I know I do. I just have a hard time admitting things like these."  
  
Rain smiled in satisfaction, and then she went on.  
  
"Does Shirley know all this?" she asked  
  
"No..." he admitted slowly. Rain poked Domon in the ribs, "See? You're not the only one Domon!" Rain looked so triumphant over Domon; Chibodee had to stifle a smile.  
  
"Ok." Rain began. "First, read the letter. Second, write back. And third, just wait until something happens."  
  
Chibodee nodded. "Ok. Thanks both of you."  
  
They nodded, and they all said goodbye. Chibodee hung up the phone.  
  
Chibodee stared at the letter and opened it quickly.  
  
'Dear Chibodee,  
Hey! How are you? Everything is not as great as I expected it to be. It's kinda run down, everyone is really tough. I can't say I actually enjoy it here. I don't like the way Jake, my acting instructor, is treating me either, like I'm some prize or something. Let me put it this way, Broadway is not all that's it's cracked up to be. I'm not saying you should do anything, but I'm not saying that you have to just sit there. Do you get me? I knew you would. You always have. Please don't tell the girls anything that I've said I don't want them to worry. Well, I have to leave now. Jake wants to go out to dinner (I cook better than the places that he takes me to). I don't have any pictures of the girls, but I did find a picture of you in my purse form a while ago. It's sitting on my desk. Thank you for everything Chibodee.  
Love,  
Shirley'  
  
Chibodee read the letter dumbfounded. He knew that there was something wrong with that stupid creep. She wanted him to come and get her, she was right, he understood her exactly. Suddenly he grinned, a picture of him on her desk? Wow.  
  
SHE KEEPS A PICTURE OF ME  
IN HER APARTMENT IN THE CITY  
  
Chibodee knew exactly how she was feeling, she wanted to come home but she felt she was obligated to stay. Her overactive pride and her stubbornness told her so.  
  
The letter was dated two days after she had arrived in the city section of the colony. Should he go and get her? He didn't know what he should do.  
  
SOME THINGS IN THIS WORLD  
THEY DON'T MAKE SENSE  
SOME THINGS YOU DON'T NEED  
UNTIL THEY LEAVE YOU  
AND THEY'RE THINGS THAT YOU MISS  
  
He was going to sleep on it.  
  
**Next Day**  
  
Well, that's what he thought. By Saturday he was going to go but he never got to it. How could explain himself if he just showed up on her doorstep? He couldn't do it.  
  
**Next Day**  
  
He couldn't do it Sunday either. He was scared... for the first time he was scared. It was strange. He also wouldn't be keeping his promise if he went to get her. Hadn't he told her how happy he was for her? He would be lying. It wasn't right.  
  
BABY, BABY, BABY  
WHEN ALL YOUR LOVE IS GONE  
WHO WILL SAVE ME  
FROM ALL I'M UP AGAINST OUT IN THIS WORLD  
MAYBE, MAYBE, MAYBE  
YOU'LL FIND SOMETHING  
THAT'S ENOUGH TO PLEASE YOU  
BUT IF THE BRIGHT LIGHTS DON'T RECEIVE YOU  
YOU CAN TURN YOURSELF AROUND  
AND COME ON HOME  
  
By Sunday night he couldn't live with himself anymore. Screw his pride, he needed to see her. He waited until everyone had gone to sleep and then started downstairs. When he got halfway down the stairs he stopped again and prayed that she would come home.  
  
LET THAT CITY TAKE YOU IN  
LET THAT CITY SPIT YOU OUT  
LET THAT CITY TAKE YOU DOWN  
FOR GOD'S SAKE TURN AROUND  
  
When he opened his eyes, he knew he had to leave. He quietly walked down the rest of the stairs and opened the front door.  
  
And there she was.  
  
She looked up sheepishly, suitcase in hand; he saw the taxi speeding away behind her. Shirley smiled softly. Chibodee pulled her inside.  
  
"You came back."  
  
"You were coming to get me."  
  
He looked down at her and shook his head.  
  
"We were both wrong."  
  
She nodded, agreeing with him.  
  
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. His face buried in her hair. She pulled away from him and looked up at him.  
  
"I love you." She stated and he nodded.  
  
"Took the words right out of my mouth, I love you too."  
  
He picked up her suitcase and they walked up the stairs together.  
  
Both were glad that the bright lights of Broadway did not deceive Shirley into staying there. And neither regretted either of their decisions.  
  
~~YAY! I finished this story in three hours! Go me! Ha ha. Please review! Ciao. ~~ 


End file.
